Bible Commentaries

1 Kings 9:21 — Verse 1 Kings 9:21. A tribute of bond-service — He made them do the most laborious part of the public works, the Israelites being generally exempt. When Sesostris, king of Egypt, returned from his wars, he caused temples to be built in all the cities of Egypt,

2 Kings 2:9 — Verse 2 Kings 2:9. A double portion of thy spirit be upon me. — This in reference to the law, Deuteronomy 21:17: He shall acknowledge the first-born, by giving him a DOUBLE PORTION of all that he hath - the right of the first-born is his. Elisha considered himself

1 Chronicles 18:1 — 1. Reduces the Moabites, 2. Vanquishes Hadarezer, king of Zobah, 3, 4. Overcomes the Syrians of Damascus, and takes several of their cities, 5-8. Tou, king of Hamath, congratulates him on his victory, and sends him vessels of silver, gold, and brass, 9, 10. Those and the different spoils he had taken from the conquered nations, he dedicates to God, 11. Abishai defeats the Edomites, 12, 13. David reigns over all Israel, 14. His officers, 15-17. NOTES ON CHAP. XVIIIVerse 1 Chronicles 18:1. David - took

1 Chronicles 29:1 — CHAPTER XXIX David enumerates the gifts which he designed for the building of the temple; and exhorts the princes and people to make their offerings, 1-5. They offer willingly, and to a great amount, 6-9. David's thanksgiving and prayer to God on the occasion, 10-19. The princes and people praise God, offer sacrifices and feasts before him, make Solomon King, and do him homage, 20-24. The Lord magnifies Solomon, 25. Concluding account of David's reign,

1 Chronicles 4:1 — CHAPTER IV A second genealogy of Judah, 1-23. The account of Jabez, 9, 10. The genealogy of Simeon, 24-27. Their cities, 28-31. Their villages, and where situated, 32, 33. The heads of families, 34-38. Where they settled; and what was their occupation, 39-43. NOTES ON CHAP. IVVerse 1 Chronicles 4:1. The sons of Judah

Nehemiah 8:1 — CHAPTER VIII Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites, read and interpret the laws to the people, 1-7. The manner in which they do this important work, 8. The effect produced on the people's minds by hearing it, 9. The people are exhorted to be glad, and are told that the joy of the Lord is their strength, 10-12. On the second day they assemble, and find that they should keep the feast of tabernacles; which they accordingly religiously solemnize for seven days;

Nehemiah 9:19 — Verse Nehemiah 9:19. The pillar of the cloud departed not from them — מעליהם mealeyhem, "from over them." I have already had occasion to observe that this miraculous cloud, the symbol of the Divine presence, assumed three different positions while accompanying

Esther 7:9 — Verse Esther 7:9. Behold also, the gallows — As if he had said, Besides all he has determined to do to the Jews, he has erected a very high gallows, on which he had determined, this very day, to hang Mordecai, who has saved the king's life.Hang him thereon. —

Job 3:23 — either world, but is full of fears and trembling concerning both.God hath hedged in? — Leaving him no way to escape; and not permitting him to see one step before him.There is an exact parallel to this passage in Lamentations 3:7; Lamentations 3:9: He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone. Mr. Good translates the verse thus: To the man whose path is broken up, and whose futurity God hath overwhelmed. But I cannot see any necessity for departing from

Job 3:9 — Verse Job 3:9. Let the stars of the twilight thereof — The stars of the twilight may here refer to the planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury, as well as to the brighter fixed stars.Let it look for light — Here the prosopopoeia or personification is

Job 38:23 — frost.Against the day of battle and war? — Hailstones being often employed as instruments of God's displeasure against his enemies, and the enemies of his people. There is probably an allusion here to the plague of hail sent on the Egyptians. See Exodus 9:23, and the notes there, for more particulars concerning hailstones, remarkable showers of them, c. There may be also a reference to Joshua 10:10-11, where a destructive shower of what are called hailstones fell upon the Canaanitish kings who fought

Job 9:15 — Verse Job 9:15. Though I were righteous — Though clear of all the crimes, public and secret, of which you accuse me, yet I would not dare to stand before his immaculate holiness. Man's holiness may profit man, but in the sight of the infinite purity of God

Psalms 29:2 — Verse Psalms 29:2. The glory due unto his name — Rather, the glory of his name. His name is Mercy; his nature is love. Ascribe mercy, love, power, and wisdom to him. All these are implied in the name Jehovah.In the beauty of holiness. — בהדרת קדש behadrath

Psalms 29:9 — Verse Psalms 29:9. Maketh the hinds to calve — Strikes terror through all the tribes of animals; which sometimes occasions those which are pregnant to cast their young. This, I believe, to be the whole that is meant by the text. I meddle not with the fables which

Psalms 31:9 — Verse Psalms 31:9. Mine eye is consumed — He now returns, and speaks of his present situation. Grief had brought many tears from his eyes, many agonies into his soul, and many distressful feelings into his whole frame.My soul and my belly. — The belly is

Psalms 32:9 — Verse Psalms 32:9. Be ye not as the horse or as the mule — They will only act by force and constraint; be not like them; give a willing service to your Maker. "They have no understanding;" you have a rational soul, made to be guided and influenced by reason. The

Psalms 5:9 — Verse Psalms 5:9. No faithfulness in their mouth — They make professions of friendship; but all is hollow and deceitful: "They flatter with their tongue."Very wickedness — Their heart is full of all kinds of depravity.Their throat is an open sepulchre —

Psalms 58:9 — Verse Psalms 58:9. Before your pots can feel the thorns — Ye shall be destroyed with a sudden destruction. From the time that the fire of God's wrath is kindled about you, it will be but as a moment before ye be entirely consumed by it: so very short will be the

Psalms 60:9 — Verse Psalms 60:9. Who will bring me into the strong city? — If this part of the Psalm, from the sixth to the twelfth verse, refer to the return of the captives from Babylon, as I think probable; then the strong city may mean either Petra, the capital of Idumea;

Proverbs 3:9 — Verse Proverbs 3:9. Honour the Lord with thy substance — The מנחה MINCHAH or gratitude-offering to God, commanded under the law, is of endless obligation. It would be well to give a portion of the produce of every article by which we get our support to God, or to